Chapter 86

I was breathing rapidly, frozen in place. Brandon didn't move or say anything, but his gaze was glued to me. To be precise, he was looking right into my eyes. We stood there, staring at each other, neither stepping forward nor backing away. I could even feel both our heartbeats quickening. Until my neighbor, an elderly lady's voice sounded from outside, "The new tenant's boyfriend is kind. Look how clean he made the stairs." That snapped me back to reality. I gave Brandon a push and quickly escaped to the living room. But for a moment I didn't know what to do, feeling dazed and confused. Brandon walked out, breaking the awkward silence. "Is this the house where your parents used to live?" I was startled, wondering how he knew. Then I saw him walking toward the wall with the photos. "You still look a lot like you did when you were a kid." The wall was decorated with my certificates and our family photos. I was wearing a red scarf, with my parents on either side of me, sm